Manchester CrimeWatch: City man denies felony robbery charges

MANCHESTER — A city man was arraigned Tuesday in Circuit Court-Manchester District Division on a felony robbery charge, but he denied the charge..

David Campbell, 29, of 513 Chestnut St., is accused of going to an ex-girlfriend’s apartment in the same building Monday and grabbing a tape recorder, shoving her and leaving. The use of force during a theft makes the charge a felony.

Campbell said a similar charge was filed six months ago and dropped, and he was out the money; he paid a bail bondsman. In this case, he said: “I feel I was treated unfairly.”

He said: “I don’t understand how someone can get in trouble for something I didn’t do.”

A police prosecutor requested $2,000 cash/surety bail, and Campbell said with his record, the bondsman would probably want $400 or $500 to post the bond. A prosecutor said Campbell’s record includes forgery, identity theft and drug possession with intent to sell.

The judge set bail at the requested $2,000 cash/surety, but there is a 72-hour parole hold on Campbell. A probable cause hearing on the felony was set for Feb. 11.

Accused of assaulting husband

Michelle Huta, 27, of 445 Granite St., could enter no plea Tuesday in Circuit Court-Manchester District Division to a felony charge of second-degree assault that alleges she put her hands around her husband’s neck and squeezed until he had difficulty breathing. She pleaded innocent to a simple assault charge for hitting him with a closed fist.

Court documents show the alleged victim told police he came home Monday night to find Huta passed out, intoxicated, on the couch. Their crying 5-month-old daughter was between her legs. He told police he changed the baby and went upstairs.

When he came back downstairs, he said Huta woke up and the two began to argue because he felt she had put their child in danger by passing out. He said she turned on music on her laptop, but he took the computer and shut it so the music stopped playing and held it while he sat in a chair.

He said Huta tried to pull the laptop away, but he held on. He said she punched him three or four times in the chest with a closed fist. He continued to hold onto the computer, he told police, so she put her hands around his neck and squeezed, reducing his ability to breathe. She only let go after he said he was about to “black out.”

A police prosecutor requested $5,000 cash/surety bail, but Judge John Coughlin set bail at $2,500 cash/surety on the felony and $1,500 personal recognizance bail on the misdemeanor. Because no plea can be entered to a felony in Circuit Court, a probable cause hearing was set for Feb. 11, when there will be a status hearing on the misdemeanor.

Warrant led to new charge

When police arrested Nathan Ledoux, 25, of 564 Silver St., on a willful concealment warrant from Concord, he was found in possession of heroin, police said.

That resulted in a new felony charge of possession of a narcotic drug. Ledoux could enter no plea to the felony Tuesday in Circuit Court-Manchester District Division, so a probable cause hearing was set for Feb. 11.

A police prosecutor successfully sought $2,000 cash/surety bail for Ledoux, noting he was given a suspended sentence on a 2013 theft by unauthorized taking conviction.

Man charged with robbery

Keith Murray, 28, of 228 Cartier St., was arraigned Tuesday on a robbery charge stemming from an alleged incident last August.

Murray is accused of punching a 15-year-old in the mouth, causing his lip to swell and bleed, during a theft of the teen’s watch, hat, cellphone and wallet containing ID, bank debit card and $10 cash, on Aug. 15, 2013.

Court documents show the teen told police that he and friends were walking in the area of Beech and Valley streets when they noticed a silver SUV with four people inside. When one of the males in the vehicle asked what the youths were looking at, one of themsaid , “We are looking at your car.”

In response, the victim told police, the people in the car got out and started hitting him and his friends. The teens fled, running toward Cremeland, 250 Valley St., and their attackers got back into the SUV and drove into the alley behind Cremeland.

The victim told police that the males in the SUV jumped out of it and punched the victim’s friend and pinned the victim against a building, punching him in the mouth and robbing him.

The documents show that when the victim and his father were driving by the area where the incident occurred, the victim pointed out the attackers’ vehicle, which was later found in the Spare Time Bowling parking lot. The victim’s debit card was found in the lot, and when police communications traced the caller ID number of a ringing phone inside the SUV, the owner gave police permission to search the vehicle, which she had lent to her boyfriend, Murray.

Inside the vehicle were the victim’s hat, watch and cellphone. The documents show the victim picked Murray out of a photo lineup Sept. 5, 2013, and a warrant was obtained for Murray’s arrest.

Bail was set at $1,000 cash/surety for Murray, who has convictions for criminal mischief, theft by unauthorized taking and conduct after an accident. No plea can be entered to a felony in Circuit Court, so a probable cause hearing was set for Feb. 11.

Second day in court

Rebekah Spencer, 24, of 467 Beech St., was in Circuit Court-Manchester District Division on warrants for her failure to appear in Nashua District Division in connection with two cases: receiving stolen property in 2012 and loitering/prowling in 2013. One case involved a failure to report to serve a jail sentence. Bail was set at $500 cash/surety.

Spencer was back in Manchester District Division Tuesday, this time on warrants for a felony theft by deception and four misdemeanors of fraudulent use of a credit card.

The charges allege she stole a card belonging to an acquaintance and used it four times in 72 hours at Joseph Brothers, a Cumberland Farms and a 7-11.

Bail was set at $1,000 cash/surety, with conditions barring contact with the card owner and barring any use of alcohol or illegal drugs. A probable cause hearing on the felony was set for Feb. 11, when there will be a status hearing on the misdemeanors.